Much has been made of the Turnbull government’s successes in the last week of sitting in the federal parliament. Malcolm Turnbull is crowing but there is a broad understanding the hot ticket item, the ABCC legislation which passed through the Senate earlier this week, has been rendered a dud and that Derryn Hinch was played by the CFMEU to cough up concessions.
While being tricked by the CFMEU’s office bearers is hardly something anyone would want to put on their political resumes, Hinch would not see it that way. He may have his own explanation for it. I have no doubt he could spout some rationalisation at the drop of a hat. That is a talent he undoubtedly possesses.
More generally, I’d suggest voters should be leery of people like Hinch becoming representative politicians. Perhaps we should adopt a tacit rule that wherever a political party appears with the word ‘justice’ in it, that party is not worth the ballot paper it is written on. Where it appears featuring the name of a media personality before the word ‘justice’ you can put the house (or indeed the Senate) on it being a self-serving exercise in the sort of ‘look at me’ politics we have come to know and despise in this country.
Full column here:
Darren:
Sometimes catch Phillip Adams on his Late Night Live, “little wireless program”
God, he irritates me. His facetious, smartarse narrative is dreadful. He constantly tries to put words into his interviewee’s mouths.
But then I suspect he only interviews those whose ideologies match his.
I dont know that he has an ideology Yvonne. Its all wishy washy stuff. I think it helps the old dears – who I am convinced are most of his audience (although to be honest I had assumed he had passed away some time ago) – get to sleep at night.
I believe it was once Communist, Darren. Probably more politically correctly described as Socialist nowadays. who knows, who cares really. He needs to retire…..
darren – Yvonne a “old dear”? I very much doubt it.
Don’t think Darren was calling me an “old dear” Carl – at least I certainly hope not! I think he was referring to the listeners of Philip Adams’ radio program – of which I am not one!
You’re probably right Yvonne. Just covering the bases, no hard feeling I hope.
yep. I wasnt assuming Yvonne was a regular Adams listener.
I think Italy has retaken the lead in number of Prime Ministers this decade.
Four, now five, in six years is probably about normal these days for many countries.
I see John Key from the Lend of the Widdly Shufted Veowls has decided to retire on his own terms as well, and not contest the next election – http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-05/new-zealand-prime-minister-john-key-resigns/8092392.
I’m more pleased that the loopy, dangerous dictator of Gambia has decided to concede his defeat in elections – http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/gambia-yahya-jammeh-concedes-loss-adama-barrow-161202211013474.html – and Austria’s next President won’t be an Austrofascist – http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/austria-concedes-defeat-presidential-race-161204143838154.html.
Seen both of those Rhys. Gabon is the surprising one. An autocrat bowing out without a coup. Interesting times!
Key was fantastic. Leaving on his own is par for the course. Would that we had politicians who didn’t seek power for the spoils.
The Gambia.
Gabon may have involved a bit of strange election rigging here and there. The autocratic son of the former autocrat might have got close to unanimity in his home Province – http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/09/gabon-ping-rejects-court-ruling-bongo-election-win-160923162554678.html – for a narrow win overall.
Government want to give $1 Billion to Adani for a train line to nowhere for a coal mine that No bank on the planet want to finance and since 2013 the Nation has doubled its agreed to Emissions levels. But wait the government will ow brink back the Carbon Tax. Oh and the blaming and shaming of the poorest in the community continues by the government. The coalition government are not acting in the National interest.
No bank on the planet wants to finance you say! Well let’s just see shall we. You really are becoming desperate on this subject. Old Razor told you about two years ago it was happening. You really should get your head out of those left wing rags you continually quote and see what is happening in the real world! Tomorrow will be a great day for Nth Qld!!!!!!
So you are happy for the Federal Government to waste $1 Billion of taxpayers money by propping up a private company just to start ? the project will NOT go ahead. The train to nowhere may well break ground but it will be the 36km white elephant legacy of this disgraceful government. Your coalition via the Australian taxpayer is the only financier on the planet at this stage. The mine will not happen. There are already several coal mines for sale in Australia that no one wants to buy. Jobs you say? The total number of jobs IF the full project had ever happened is 1400. Hundreds of which will be 457’s for the parent company’s employees. You are as usual putting self interest before the National interest. This is another example of coalition pork barrelling for no return to the Nation but a handful of votes in the part of the country. You may feel smug but this is another disgraceful effort by your hopeless coalition. No surprises. To support the wasteful spending is bad enough to gloat about the destruction and damage it will cause is even worse.
Excellent post Dismayed.
Ho hum……. 4000 direct jobs each year for 25yrs. The total carbon output is infinitesimal in the scheme of things. The rail line will allow other mines to take a spur off it so it is actually infrastructure for all. Isn’t this what you always carry on about? More infrastructure. The coal mines you refer to are brown coal and do not have the in ground resources or quality this one has. Also the ideology of the green left Labor governments has made them unviable thus endangering energy security. You have a job. Move aside and let some other people have a chance. At least they probably won’t be hypocrites.
Adani has admitted total jobs is 1400. You again fall back to your pathological dishonesty to push your ideology over the National interest. No surprises. Absolute disgrace.
As I understand, and notwithstanding your earlier views about Adani’s real motive for developing Carmichael, the project was assessed as non-viable by Queensland Treasury.
Why should Adani be the recipient of government largesse, as opposed to Toyota, SPC etc? I don’t get it.
More jobs.
That other resource is still there awaiting its chance in the sun TO.
Everyone is interesting except you.
Not you razor. Dismaid.
Thrash me with a wet lettuce leaf, Mr Insider, as we tread this morning “The Turnbull government is set to kill off the Green Army, Tony Abbott’s much-hyped environmental project, as it looks to find savings of more than $350 million in this month’s budget update.” As Turnbull’s Newspolls plummet he is becoming emboldened to go “balls to the wind!”
http://tinyurl.com/hwscvvg
Bella.
I am no way a Malcolm fan feeling very restless when his name mentioned, but further back on your comment Gillard passing around 560 bills , most have been wiped out Bella!
Back in Canberra circus arena with added addition Hinch , we seeing mad politics heading down the Trump road judging on comments arriving in the media print and TVs at night. The ominous signs America leads the way comes to politics or your very own shopping places (massive stores) will link us more ways then one.
Hinch seems like a wild animal released from the cage want full attention while must say some of his policies are well intention. Jacqui Lambie facilitates he prostects of war, seems to be gearing up to go ballistic next year 2017 trying to attract ringside attention , that can eventually see her out on her ear in time. This complex women has significant problems looking very much shaking in her presentation of views triggering a few reverberations nearby unsettling many house debates. Much scepticism on her lasting the full period of this election.
Carl on the Coast 10:08 AM
Quite so Carl. Indeed Dr Carl himself “questions the science” and regarding AGW he does it tolerably well enough to understand the bleeding obvious, and how the cynical criminal frauds tried to sell the idea that we were entering a period of global cooling.
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2014/09/16/4088609.htm
Now I can give you infinitely better advice than merely “question the science” Carl,
“Question everything!”
Carl on the Coast 5:43PM
“In your attempted put down of TBLS……….”
Your basic premise is correct Carl, logical and obvious, but again you alter the criteria. darren was quite specific.
The notion of Swantoon influencing amendments to the law is too disturbing to contemplate but I don’t believe darren was attempting to put down TBLS, or shows any sign that he wishes to.
I hope we are as one in the opinion that TBLS is not quite ready to be put down yet.
http://www.skepticalscience.com/
Clock the active graph right side bar.
Cheerio. Yer Old China Plate Baptiste.
Jean Bapriste
Re Dr Karl’s GMS paper on global cooling, do you think the “cherry pickers” he referred to were 457 backpackers?
Now there’s an issue that’s raised the temperature me old mate.
Carl on the Coast 9:37AM Sun
Thanks for pointing out the apostrophe catastrophe Carl. I don’t go them much myself. Apostropheists always come across as so damn anal and prissy and sew frilly fringes on their lacy underpants.
I don’t have any idea where you get the idea of a three inch rise in sea levels from or when you think that will occur, I suspect you don’t have a clue as to what is happening to the great land ice masses on the planet.
Your quaint belief that we are facing minor rises in sea levels really is cloud cuckoo stuff, and whatever rises may mean little to you, they will be horrific for the vast populations of poor living in the deltas.
The real and immediate disaster facing humanity tho is the release of billions of tons of methane into the atmosphere as the great thaw occurs.
However in the matters of mice and men, it is natural for the mice to seek refuge from contemplating that with which they cannot cope in the fantasy promulgated by vested interests that AGW isn’t nearly as bad as the vast majority of scientists believe it to be. Clearly the charlatans who care for nothing but their own wealth are the masters of your mind, but we can only expect you to do as much as you can.
You’ve heard of the Jacque P’erettis brilliant series “The Men Who Made Us Spend/Fat etc?
Well heres an insight into the world of “The Men Who Made Us Stupid and Apathetic.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gabe-elsner/why-and-how-fossil-fuel-a_b_5398410.html
Jean Baptiste – On the matter of se-level rises, and if one were to accept Pascal’s principle of ‘water seeking its own level’, one would reasonably ask oneself – if a half metre sea-level rise was to be recorded at Bondi Beach, would the same increase in sea-level rise be recorded in the Thames Estuary?
Any thoughts JB? No need to post your usual scrap book of graphs, etc, your own short considered view will suffice .
PS. I should hastily add that my use of the descriptor “scrap” above did not in any way intend to connote contents of a kerbside trash collection.
PPS. Your reference to “frilly fringes and lacy underpants” etc seemed a tad irrational however, it may be an underlying indication of the frivolity with which you secretly seek to apply to your AGW meanderings. Better get it seen to me old mate.
As I understand, and notwithstanding your earlier views about Adani’s real motive for developing Carmichael, the project was assessed as non-viable by Queensland Treasury.
Why should Adani be the recipient of government largesse, as opposed to Toyota, SPC etc? I don’t get it.
More direct jobs and jobs where they are badly needed.
shoring up the vote
Carl,
Your reference to Pascal’s Principle in the context of rising sea levels (the Principle applies to confined systems) is a novel concept that’s on a par with your reference to barnacles as molluscs a while back.
I’m glad that the real scientists at the IPCC are the ones that are driving the climate change agenda.
And an agenda it certainly is!
JB – The Huffington Post is to anthropogenic global warming as anthropomorphism is to the three little pigs.
You are a wag me old mate, but then you already knew the ‘huff’ was the common denominator.
Gosh, the racism over the wall is astounding – it’s getting worse too. An article about welfare fraud today – and practically every comment blames Muslim refugees or immigrants. Sickening – have to scuttle back here for sanity.
Yvonne, although it may sound racist but it is closer to the truth than you know. I have a friend who spends all his working hours + overtime on welfare fraudsters.
Careful Yvonne, you’ve just broken at least two commandments of right-wing PC. 1) The word “racism” must always be used inside scare-quotes, and 2) there is no “racism” in Australia. And just quietly, your condescension toward the legitimate-concerns-of-ordinary-Australians is skating dangerously close to elitism.
Just in case you haven’t had your coffee yet — I’m kidding! Given that most people don’t think that way, it makes you wonder what drives people with that kind of view to comment so prodigally in that kind of forum. The self-styled “silent majority” is actually the opposite!
Am not impressed with the comment there either Yvonne, we may not be perfect here on this side of the wall but a darn sight more enlightening and entertaining imho
Absolutely HB. Even if we have differing opinions on all sorts of things, we mange to be civil – and civilised. Thanks to JTI for hanging in with us motley mob!
There’s a lot of keyboard warrior out there Yvonne, who would not have the courage to state these beliefs in an open face to face forum. I just don’t bother reading the comments over the wall on JTI’s column or anyone else’s for that matter.
I just wish these people would stop and think about what they are writing. If I read the term leftard one more time I’ll throw something at the wall. Same goes for right or left wing loonie. I think people should get a life…..peace brothers and sisters…..now I guess I’m just showing my age
Penny – Just imagine how many you’d actually come across if you did bother to read them. The mind boggles in so many ways.
Hmmmm – One Nation is set to field candidates in the next state election here. Serious competition for Ms Lambie probably!
Even though Tasmania is booming like never before, there is dissatisfaction with the ruling Liberal party here -my prediction is that Pauline will do quite well Depressing thought for a Monday morning.
Multi-culturism is for the rich, educated and secure Yvonne.
If you are at the level where you are competing for jobs and resources, tribalism takes over.
That’s the message certain fringe political groups are putting out, but it hasn’t been my experience. I’m educated, but I’m poor and have been “competing for jobs and resources” for most my life so far. IMO the natural reaction to that is to question the economic system, rather than to turn on other people in the same situation through ethnic rivalry, if that’s what you mean by “tribalism”. Maybe a certain angry, loud type of personality goes that way, but the facts suggest that most people don’t:
http://scanlonfoundation.org.au/australians-today/
Have to disagree about your using your good self as an example. Educated makes the difference and obviously, before that, you were pretty smart.
It’s got a lot to do with the widening gap btw the wealthy and the battling JS. Brexit and Trump are indicators of that. Protest votes are the norm now rather than the exception. Unfortunately it does not bring the desired result in most instances. What I predict will happen here is that the Lib vote will get split and Labor will resume power – maybe in their own right this time instead of aligning with the,Greens. Which unfortunately is not the best outcome for this state.
Don’t be so sure Yvonne. That’s the thing with ON they bleed plenty if votes from Labor as well.
In WA the state election will be a few short days before the Ides of March. I have a feeling the Turnip may may suffer the same fate, on the same date as Caesar did exactly 2050 years ago
That’ll make things interesting, Razor! The Libs here are already spluttering and issuing warnings of disaster! Which means they are worried. My own feeling is that Labor, here at least, are more or less stable, (apart from a rather dubious leader) and they will take the next election
During the election Turnbull promised, on camera, that he would not give Adani any financial support to their proposed mega-polluting coal mine.
Why is it then that word is he’s about to give Adani $1B of public funding money?
This Reef killing mine is not public infrastructure.
Is it too much to expect Turnbull to keep even one promise? All he’s focused on is giving his corporate mates their dream come true windfall. Shame on them.
The mine now looks like a goer. Plenty of jobs for young North Queenslanders Bella and as you know we need it.
The last thing most Australian want is another dirty coal mine Razor & whatever makes you think those jobs will be given to Australians anyway? It’s not written in stone that “young North Queenslanders”will be given priority over Adani’s own workers.
This announcement just cements the death of the GBR, just another environmental crime for greed so you’ll excuse me if I stand for giving our Reef & our planet a fighting chance ahead of jobs. Plenty of jobs that could be found in renewable energy if this backward driven country ever has a leader with vision. And a spine.
If Turnbull was drowning in the polls last week wait til he faces the backlash of putting Australian’s favourite reef on the ‘in danger’ list.
Anastasia too and deservedly so.
BTW was the Billion $s plucked from the air at short notice?? Christ they’re liars & cons.
stress less Bella, if this new ‘un goes ahead then existing others will shutter, such is the supply.
scuttlebutt would have it as a pork barreling exercise to neuter ON in QLD.
time will tell
Smoke, thanks for that but the world is rightly moving away from coal so why is Australia stuck with this bunch of old snake-oil salesmen who ‘say’they’re committed to the reduction of greenhouse gas & addressing climate change (blind freddy knows they are not) but then back this dirty new mine.
They can’t have it both ways.
Regards, Bella
Bella,
1./ The reef is fine. Cyclones do massive damage and the reef recovers. I have seen it with my own eyes.
2./ There are NO jobs in renewables. After construction, zero, zilch, nada. That’s the idea.
3./ Agreed on today. NO 457 visas
Again a great day for Nth Qld.
Razor the Reef is not ‘fine’, it’s close to ‘in danger’ status.
Adani has not put ‘no 457 visas’ in writing.
Did you know that their own economists have sworn under oath that this mine will create less than 1500 jobs & they also plan to employ as many robots as possible.
“When we ramp up the mine everything will be autonomous from mine to port.” Adani Mining CEO
It’s quite clear that this CEO isn’t keeping abreast of their own PR.
Question Razor: Why is it that Adani is not viable without public subsidies?
Regards, Bella